Olympus E-1 vs E-5

The Olympus E-1 and the Olympus E-5 are two professional cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively,
in June 2003 and September 2010. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. The E-1 has a resolution of 4.9 megapixels, whereas the E-5 provides 12.2 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Olympus E-1 and the
Olympus E-5? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Olympus E-1 and the Olympus E-5 is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size,
the Olympus E-5 is notably larger (13 percent) than the Olympus E-1. Moreover, the E-5 is markedly heavier (18 percent) than the E-1. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses
that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses.
You can compare the optics available in the Four Thirds Lens Catalog.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, just click on the right or left
arrow next to the camera that you would like to inspect. Alternatively, you can also use the CAM-parator to
select your camera combination among a larger number of options.

Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The two cameras under review were launched at the same price and fall into the same market segment. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a Four Thirds sensor and have a format factor
(sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras
that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.

Technology-wise, the E-5 uses a more advanced image processing engine (TruePic V+)
than the E-1 (TruePic), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the E-5 offers a higher
resolution of 12.2 megapixels, compared with 4.9 MP of the E-1.
This megapixels advantage translates into a 58 percent gain in linear resolution.
On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the E-5 has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel
(with a pixel pitch of 4.29μm versus 6.78μm for the E-1). However, it should be noted that the E-5 is much more recent (by 7 years and 2 months) than the E-1, and its sensor
will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that compensate for the smaller pixel size.

The Olympus E-1 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 800, which can be extended to ISO 100-3200.
The corresponding ISO settings for the Olympus E-5 are ISO 100 to ISO 6400 (no boost).

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Sensor Characteristics

Camera Model

Sensor Class

Resolution (MP)

Horiz. Pixels

Vert. Pixels

Video Format

DXO Portrait

DXO Landscape

DXO Sports

DXO Overall

Camera Model

Olympus E-1

Four Thirds

4.9

2560

1920

none

..

..

..

..

Olympus E-1

Olympus E-5

Four Thirds

12.2

4032

3024

720/30p

21.6

10.5

519

56

Olympus E-5

Canon 6D Mark II

Full Frame

26.0

6240

4160

1080/60p

24.4

11.9

2862

85

Canon 6D Mark II

Canon 7D

APS-C

17.9

5184

3456

1080/30p

22.0

11.7

854

66

Canon 7D

Leica Digilux 3

Four Thirds

7.4

3136

2352

none

..

..

..

..

Leica Digilux 3

Nikon D500

APS-C

20.7

5568

3712

4K/30p

24.0

14.0

1324

83

Nikon D500

Nikon D610

Full Frame

24.2

6016

4016

1080/30p

25.1

14.4

2925

94

Nikon D610

Nikon D7000

APS-C

16.1

4928

3264

10800/24p

23.5

13.9

1167

80

Nikon D7000

Olympus E-30

Four Thirds

12.2

4032

3024

none

21.3

10.4

530

55

Olympus E-30

Olympus E-520

Four Thirds

10.0

3648

2736

none

21.4

10.4

548

55

Olympus E-520

Olympus E-3

Four Thirds

10.0

3648

2736

none

21.6

10.5

571

56

Olympus E-3

Olympus E-510

Four Thirds

10.0

3648

2736

none

21.2

10.0

442

52

Olympus E-510

Olympus E-330

Four Thirds

7.4

3136

2352

none

..

..

..

..

Olympus E-330

Olympus E-300

Four Thirds

8.0

3264

2448

none

..

..

..

..

Olympus E-300

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. The E-5 indeed provides for movie recording, while the E-1 does not. The highest resolution format that the E-5 can use is 720/30p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The E-1 and the E-5 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder.
The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (100%), but
the viewfinder of the E-5 has a higher magnification than the one of the E-1 (0.575x vs 0.48x),
so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Olympus E-1 and Olympus E-5 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

Camera Model

Viewfinder (Type or '000 dots)

Control Panel (yes/no)

LCD Size (inch)

LCD Resolution ('000 dots)

LCD Attach- ment

Touch Screen (yes/no)

Mech Shutter Speed

Shutter Flaps (1/sec)

Built-in Flash (yes/no)

Built-in Image Stab

Camera Model

Olympus E-1

optical

Y

1.8

134

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

n

n

Olympus E-1

Olympus E-5

optical

Y

3.0

920

swivel

n

1/8000s

5.0

Y

Y

Olympus E-5

Canon 6D Mark II

optical

Y

3.0

1040

swivel

Y

1/4000s

6.5

n

n

Canon 6D Mark II

Canon 7D

optical

Y

3.0

920

fixed

n

1/8000s

8.0

Y

n

Canon 7D

Leica Digilux 3

optical

n

2.5

207

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

n

Leica Digilux 3

Nikon D500

optical

Y

3.2

2359

tilting

Y

1/8000s

10.0

n

n

Nikon D500

Nikon D610

optical

Y

3.2

921

fixed

n

1/4000s

6.0

Y

n

Nikon D610

Nikon D7000

optical

Y

3.0

921

fixed

n

1/8000s

6.0

Y

n

Nikon D7000

Olympus E-30

optical

Y

2.7

230

swivel

n

1/8000s

5.0

Y

Y

Olympus E-30

Olympus E-520

optical

n

2.7

215

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.5

Y

Y

Olympus E-520

Olympus E-3

optical

Y

2.5

230

swivel

n

1/8000s

5.0

Y

Y

Olympus E-3

Olympus E-510

optical

n

2.5

215

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

Y

Olympus E-510

Olympus E-330

optical

n

2.5

215

tilting

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

n

Olympus E-330

Olympus E-300

optical

n

1.8

134

fixed

n

1/4000s

2.5

Y

n

Olympus E-300

One feature that differentiates the E-5 and the E-1 is in-body image stabilization (IBIS).
The E-5 reduces the risk of handshake-induced blur with all attached lenses, while the E-1 has to rely on optical image stabilization
in OIS-equipped lenses to achieve the same effect.

The E-5 has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing. This characteristic will be appreciated by
vloggers and photographers who are interested in taking selfies. In contrast, the E-1 does not have a selfie-screen.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the E-1 and the E-5 write their files to Compact Flash or xD Picture cards. Both cameras feature dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Olympus E-1 and Olympus E-5 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

Camera Model

Hotshoe Port

Internal Microphone

Internal Speaker

Microphone Port

Headphone Port

HDMI Port

USB Port

WiFi Support

NFC Support

Bluetooth Support

Camera Model

Olympus E-1

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-1

Olympus E-5

Y

stereo

none

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-5

Canon 6D Mark II

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

Y

Canon 6D Mark II

Canon 7D

Y

mono

none

Y

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 7D

Leica Digilux 3

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Leica Digilux 3

Nikon D500

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

mini

3.0

Y

Y

Y

Nikon D500

Nikon D610

Y

mono

mono

Y

Y

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Nikon D610

Nikon D7000

Y

mono

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Nikon D7000

Olympus E-30

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-30

Olympus E-520

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-520

Olympus E-3

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-3

Olympus E-510

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-510

Olympus E-330

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-330

Olympus E-300

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-300

Both cameras feature a PC Sync terminal to control professional strobe lights, which will be appreciated by studio photographers.

Both the E-1 and the E-5 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used
on eBay. The E-1 was replaced by the Olympus E-3, while the E-5 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official Olympus website.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Is the Olympus E-1 better than the Olympus E-5 or vice versa? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Arguments in favor of the Olympus E-1:

More compact: Is smaller (141x104mm vs 142x117mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.

Less heavy: Is lighter (by 135g or 15 percent) and hence easier to carry around.

More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in June 2003).

Advantages of the Olympus E-5:

More detail: Has more megapixels (12.2 vs 4.9MP), which boosts linear resolution by 58%.

Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (TruePic V+ vs TruePic).

Broader imaging potential: Can capture not only stills but also 720/30p video.

Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.575x vs 0.48x).

Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.

Easier fill-in: Has a small integrated flash to brighten shadows of backlit subjects.

More modern: Reflects 7 years and 2 months of technical progress since the E-1 launch.

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the E-5 is the clear winner of the contest (13 : 3 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges
from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera
is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

E-1 03:13 E-5

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Olympus E-1 and the Olympus E-5 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest
Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the E-1 or the E-5 perform in practice. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.

Expert reviews

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, and photographyblog). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge,
reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

Other camera comparisons

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